Once your child turns 17, you lose the Child Tax Credit, but several other federal tax credits for a 17-year-old can soften the drop: the $500 Credit for Other Dependents, the Earned Income Tax Credit (which still counts your teenager as a qualifying child), and, if your child has started college coursework, the American Opportunity or Lifetime Learning credits.
The $500 Credit for Other Dependents
This is the automatic fallback. Any qualifying child or relative who doesn’t meet the Child Tax Credit age test can trigger the Credit for Other Dependents, worth up to $500 per dependent.1Internal Revenue Service. Understanding the Credit for Other Dependents
Two things to know. The dollar amount is a fraction of the $2,200 CTC you just lost. And the ODC is entirely non-refundable, so it can zero out your tax bill but won’t produce a refund on its own.2Internal Revenue Service. Parents – Check Eligibility for the Credit for Other Dependents If your tax liability is already low, part of the $500 may go unused.
You claim it on Schedule 8812, the same form you used for the CTC. Your dependent needs either a Social Security number or an ITIN.3Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Schedule 8812 (Form 1040) (2025) There’s no separate application. If your 17-year-old passes the dependency tests and doesn’t qualify for the CTC, the ODC is what you get.
The Earned Income Tax Credit Still Counts Your 17-Year-Old
This is where families most often leave money on the table. The EITC uses a different age cutoff than the CTC: a qualifying child must be under 19 at the end of the tax year, not under 17.4Internal Revenue Service. Qualifying Child Rules So your teenager can still qualify you even though the CTC is gone.
For 2026, the maximum EITC with one qualifying child is $4,427. That’s more than double what you lost. The credit is also fully refundable, meaning it can produce a cash refund even if you owe no federal income tax. The limit is income: with one qualifying child, your adjusted gross income cannot exceed $51,593 as single or head of household, or $58,863 filing jointly.
Your 17-year-old must meet all four EITC qualifying child tests: a qualifying relationship, more than half the year living with you in the United States, no joint return (unless filed only to claim a refund), and a valid Social Security number.4Internal Revenue Service. Qualifying Child Rules If you have other children under 19, they can push the credit higher — the EITC scales with up to three qualifying children.
Education Credits If Your Teen Has Started College
Most 17-year-olds are still in high school, so this section only applies if your child started college early, is dual-enrolled, or has graduated high school and begun post-secondary coursework. If that fits, two credits open up.
American Opportunity Tax Credit
The AOTC is worth up to $2,500 per eligible student. Forty percent of it, up to $1,000, is refundable, which makes it one of the few credits that can pay out beyond what you owe.5Internal Revenue Service. American Opportunity Tax Credit Your child must be pursuing a degree or recognized credential at an eligible institution and enrolled at least half-time for one academic period during the tax year.
The credit phases out for single filers with modified adjusted gross income between $80,000 and $90,000, and for joint filers between $160,000 and $180,000. You’ll generally need Form 1098-T from the school to claim it.6Internal Revenue Service. 2025 Instructions for Form 8863 – Education Credits
Lifetime Learning Credit
The LLC covers up to $2,000 per tax return, not per student, calculated as 20% of the first $10,000 in qualified education expenses.7Internal Revenue Service. Lifetime Learning Credit It’s entirely non-refundable and has no half-time enrollment requirement. The same MAGI phase-out ranges apply as with the AOTC.
You cannot claim both the AOTC and the LLC for the same student in the same year. Both are reported on Form 8863.8Internal Revenue Service. About Form 8863
Income Limits That Cap the ODC
The Credit for Other Dependents follows the same phase-out thresholds as the CTC. It begins to shrink once modified adjusted gross income exceeds $200,000 for single filers or $400,000 for joint filers, dropping $50 for every $1,000 over the threshold.9Internal Revenue Service. Child Tax Credit The $500 ODC disappears entirely once you’re $10,000 past the threshold.
Dependency Tests You Need to Pass First
Every credit above assumes you can still claim your 17-year-old as a dependent. Four tests apply to a qualifying child:10Internal Revenue Service. Publication 501 (2025), Dependents, Standard Deduction, and Filing Information
- Relationship: your child, stepchild, foster child, sibling, or a descendant of any of these.
- Residency: the child lived with you for more than half the tax year.
- Support: the child did not provide more than half of their own financial support during the year.
- Joint return: the child did not file a joint return, unless only to claim a refund of withheld taxes.
The support test is the one that catches families with older teens. A 17-year-old working part-time or full-time may start covering a real share of their own expenses. If their earnings and savings pay for more than half their total support — housing, food, clothing, medical care, and education included — you lose the ability to claim them, and every credit above goes with it.10Internal Revenue Service. Publication 501 (2025), Dependents, Standard Deduction, and Filing Information
When Your 17-Year-Old Files Their Own Return
Your teenager filing their own return does not disqualify you from claiming them, as long as they don’t claim a personal exemption on their return and don’t file jointly with a spouse.
Filing is required in some cases. If your child has unearned income (interest, dividends, capital gains) over $2,700, that income may be subject to the kiddie tax and reported on Form 8615.11Internal Revenue Service. Topic No. 553, Tax on a Child’s Investment and Other Unearned Income (Kiddie Tax) If their only income is interest and dividends under $13,500, you can elect to report it on your own return instead. A teen with wages must file if earned income exceeds the standard deduction for dependents. Even when it isn’t required, filing is often worth doing: if an employer withheld taxes from your teenager’s paycheck, a return is the only way to get that money back.